• Facts about coronavirus and COVID-19 disease
• Facts about the COVID-19 outbreak

Preventing infection

As with colds and influenza, COVID-19 diseases spreads mainly by droplet and contact transmission.

• Facts about coronavirus: transmission

Keep a distance to limit infection

As of 16.03.2020, there is advice about 3 levels of distancing to limit transmission in society:

• The population should maintain a greater distance than normal but are not in quarantine.
• People who may be infected, but who are not sick, are in home quarantine
• People who are sick should be in home isolation

The aim of these measures is to limit and delay the outbreak of COVID-19.

General advice and measures

• Good cough etiquette and good hand hygiene, and try to avoid touching your face.
• People who live together can be in normal contact
• Avoid shaking hands, and avoid kissing and hugging people you do not live with.
• Keep a distance from others, both at work, outside and other places you visit.
• Limit the number of people you have close contact with, or are visited by, to a few at a time.
• Healthy children can be together both inside and outside, but in small groups.
• Postpone large gatherings that are not essential.
• If you have fever or respiratory symptoms you should stay at home until a day after you are well again.

• Advice to people wth symptoms but are not tested

This advice is particularly important for people in risk groups.

See also:

• Advice and information to pregnant women, children and adolescents
• Advice to risk groups
• Brochures and videos with general information in several languages

Home quarantine

People who are in home quarantine are healthy but have been in a situation where they may have been infected.

This applies for people in home quarantine:

• Do not go to work or school
• You can be in normal contact with household members if none of them are sick
• Do not take long trips in Norway or travel abroad
• Do not use public transport
• Avoid places where it is difficult to maintain a distance from other people
• As a rule, you should not visit public places like shops and cafes. If there is no alternative, you may go out to carry out a necessary errand to the shop or pharmacy, but ensure that you maintain distance (1-2 metres) from other people and avoid queues.
• You can go for a walk, but keep a distance of at least 1 and preferably 2 metres from others.
• Be alert for any symptoms. If you develop a fever or respiratory symptoms, you should isolate yourself as soon as possible.

The aim of quarantine is to avoid infecting others before you develop symptoms yourself.

If you live with a person who is in home quarantine, you are not in quarantine but you should monitor your own symptoms, like the rest of the population.

People with essential roles in safeguarding operations linked to life and health may be exempt from quarantine obligations when they are at work.

• Advice about home quarantine
• Information in several languages: Brochures and videos about home quarantine and isolation

Home isolation

People who have been diagnosed with, or are being tested for COVID-19 must be isolated, either at home, in health institutions or elsewhere.

This applies for people in isolation:

• Do not go out.
• Keep at least 2 metres distance between you and the people you live with, if possible.
• If possible, use a separate room and bathroom. Use your own towel and toiletries.
• Clean the house frequently.
• Ring the health service if you need medical attention.
• The people you live with are in quarantine.
• Isolation lasts until the doctor says that you are no longer infectious, normally 7 days after you have recovered.

See also:

• Advice to patients who are isolated at home
• Information in several languages: Brochures and videos about home quarantine and isolation